ENG vs IND 2025: Reports – Karun Nair to replace Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah not in contention

India will look to square the series with a win in the fifth and final Test match against England at The Oval in London, starting on Thursday, July 31. After batting more than five sessions and drawing the fourth Test, India will be upbeat about their chances of winning at The Oval. The series is intriguingly poised with England leading 2-1.

As per reports, India is likely to field an extra batter in Karun Nair for the all-important final Test of the India-England series. He is set to replace all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who played the fourth Test. In the seam-bowling department, Anshul Kamboj and Jasprit Bumrah are set to make way for Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna. While Kamboj failed to impress on his debut in the fourth Test, Bumrah might get a breather as the management aims to manage his workload.

Deep missed the fourth Test due to an injury, while Krishna’s dismal outings in the first two Tests kept him out of the side. Mohammed Siraj will continue as the spearhead of the bowling attack. He will be playing his fifth Test on the tour.

Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel will replace the injured wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who was ruled out of the series because of a fracture in his right foot.

If India goes in with this combination, wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh would complete the tour without getting a game. With the pitch having a layer of grass, Kuldeep once again failed to break into the scheme of things. And that is also the reason India bolstered their batting department.

Incidentally, India’s only win in this series came in the Test match which Bumrah did not play – Second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Deep and Siraj stole the show with the ball in that clash, picking up 10 and seven wickets, respectively. Indian fans will be hoping for another heroic effort from the duo in the absence of Bumrah. Krishna will also have to provide them with good support.

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us: